Which McDonald's restaurant became the company's first franchised location in 1953?

Phoenix, Arizona, became the location of McDonald's first franchised restaurant in 1953.

The restaurant was operated by Neil Fox and is important in McDonald's branding history because it used the Golden Arches in a prominent building design. The arches were initially architectural features, but they quickly became an identifying visual mark for the growing chain.

This location is often confused with the Des Plaines, Illinois, restaurant opened by Ray Kroc in 1955. Des Plaines was Kroc's first McDonald's System restaurant, while Phoenix was the first franchise location in the company's earlier expansion.

The distinction matters because McDonald's growth involved several stages: the McDonald brothers' original operation, early independent franchisees, and Kroc's later nationwide system.